There's a lot of talk about natural shampoos but...
What is my shampoo really made of?
According to Google, a shampoo is:
According to us:
So we talk about...?
- Aqueous phase.
Most liquid shampoos are primarily made up of water . For this reason it is usually the first ingredient that appears in the INCI on the label. Likewise, there are brands that replace part of this water with plant infusions, aloe vera or hydrolates.
In our case, we use aloe vera as it improves the appearance and health of the skin in addition to containing vitamins A, E and provitamin A, known for their antioxidant properties. Therefore, it is an ingredient that cleans and controls the secretion of sebum and at the same time hydrates and prevents the loss of moisture, thus soothing irritated areas of the scalp.
- Surfactants.
It is the soap itself, the cleaning agent . In contact with hair or skin, this ingredient captures dirt and excess sebum and eliminates them. It also acts as an emulsifier since it is an essential element to maintain the union between the aqueous phase and the oil phase.
These cleaning agents can be synthetic :
Sodium lauryl sulphate (SLS) or sodium laureth sulfate (SLES). In the long run they tend to be irritating to the scalp and harmful to nature.
Or natural (usually derived from coconut and 100% biodegradable). The most common are:
Decyl Glucoside
Coco Glucoside
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate
In our case we used Decyl Glucoside , Coco Glucoside and Cocamidopropyl Betaine since they are non-ionic surfactants and therefore do not interfere with the lipid membrane. They eliminate superficial fat, not the fat that is part of your cells, and they are all of plant origin.
- Thickeners
Ingredients that have the ability to thicken water to give texture to the product. The most common in natural cosmetics are:
xanthan gum
Guar gum
Agar Agar
Oat infusion
In our case we use xanthan gum that is obtained from the fermentation of corn starch and other natural microorganisms. It gives stability to the mixture and improves the viscosity of the product.
- Assets
The active ingredients provide the properties sought in each type of shampoo. They can be essential oils, plant extracts, vegetable oils...
In our case we use everything mentioned above. This is why our products are so nourishing and soothing.
In addition to these ingredients, we use natural preservatives such as benzyl alcohol that can be found naturally, for example, in vanilla. Also vegetable glycerin to help moisturize and soften the skin and sodium lactate produced naturally through the fermentation of sugars from corn or beets to promote hydration.
